Jon Gosselin a No-Show in Court

Gosselin claiming TLC violated child labor laws

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Following a court order, Jon Gosselin’s attorney Mark Heller says his client returned money to the joint account he shared with estranged wife Kate Gosselin.

Jon Gosselin was a no-show in a Rockville, Md. courtroom Thursday as a judge heard arguments in the celebrity dad's legal fight with the TLC network.

The network wants the judge to stop Gosselin from making media appearances that it says violate his contract as a star of the hit reality show "Jon & Kate Plus 8."

Gosselin has filed a countersuit, claiming TLC violated Pennsylvania's child labor laws in filming the show about the Pennsylvania family with eight children. His lawyer Mark Heller says there's no reason for the network to stop him from earning a living as a media personality, especially now that the show has ended amid the Gosselins' pending divorce.

But TLC, which is owned by Silver Spring, Md.-based Discovery Communications, says the contract remains in force.

TLC Chief Operating Officer Edward Sabin testified earlier that Gosselin made unauthorized appearances and endorsements. In particular, he mentioned a pool party that Gosselin hosted at the MGM Grand Hotel in Los Vegas. Sabin said photos that appeared afterward were at odds with the wholesome image of the show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8."